1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to mechanisms for holding card members in an electronic device and, particularly, to a surface contact card holder for holding a surface contact card in a portable electronic device.
2. Description of Related Art
With the development of wireless communication and information processing technologies, portable electronic devices such as mobile phones are now in widespread use. These electronic devices enable consumers to enjoy high-tech services, anytime and anywhere. Surface contact cards having special circuits are widely used in portable electronic devices to enhance or specialize the functions of the portable electronic devices. For example, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card can be placed in a mobile phone to dedicate the mobile phone's functions to the SIM card owner. By changing SIM cards, a single mobile phone can be used as a personal phone by many different SIM card owners.
Referring now to FIG. 7, a conventional mechanism for holding a SIM card therein includes a base 62 made of an insulating material and a holding structure 64. The base 62 defines a receiving groove 621 and a SIM connector 60 and further includes a plurality of contacts set in the middle of the receiving groove 621. The shape and size of the receiving groove 621 are the same as those of the SIM card, thus allowing the receiving groove 621 to accommodate the SIM card therein. The holding structure 64 is located adjacent to one end of the receiving groove 621 and can be moved back and forth along the direction indicated by the arrow shown in FIG. 7.
In use, firstly, the holding structure 64 is moved away from the receiving groove 421, and the SIM card is inserted into the receiving groove 621. Then, the holding structure 64 is moved to a position adjacent the receiving groove 621, so as to latch the SIM card in the receiving groove 621. In the same way, the SIM card can be released by moving the holding structure 64 away from the receiving groove 621.
In the above conventional mechanism, the holding structure 64 can be easily moved. If a mobile phone employing such a mechanism for holding a SIM card drops to ground, the mechanical shock/impact can, oftentimes, be sufficient to force the holding structure 64 to move off the receiving groove 621. As a result, the SIM card will not connect well with the SIM contactor 60 in such an instance and may even be released from the receiving groove 621. Clearly, such a conventional mechanism cannot hold the SIM card steadily in the receiving groove 621.
Therefore, a new surface contact card holder is desired in order to overcome the above-described shortcomings.